Reuters: Iran’s state grain buyer has been in talks with export houses aimed at buying around 121,254 tons of U.S.-origin milling wheat, traders said, even as the United States and Europe impose toughened sanctions to stem Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iran seeks U.S. wheat despite nuclear tension
Iran, al-Qaeda relationship is showing cracks, U.S. officials and analysts say
Washington Post: Iran’s expulsion of a senior al-Qaeda official appears to signal a crackdown on the terrorist group that has long been granted safe haven within its borders, U.S. officials say.
Family of ex-Marine detained in Iran pleads for his release
Reuters: The family of a former U.S. Marine detained in Iran for 19 months is calling for his release, saying he has suffered in solitary confinement and his cancer-stricken father needs him.
Investigator from U.N. gives Iran harsh review
New York Times: With presidential elections approaching in June, Iran has cracked down on journalists, rights activists and lawyers apparently in a bid to stifle dissent, a United Nations investigator said on Tuesday.
OPEC producers said to be in talks to replace Iran oil for India
Bloomberg: OPEC’s biggest oil producers are in talks to supply extra crude to India as the nation prepares to halt purchases from Iran because of global sanctions, four people with knowledge of the matter said.
Israel president tells Europe to do more to pressure Iran
Reuters: Israeli President Shimon Peres urged the European Union on Tuesday to step up pressure on Iran over its ballistic missile program, as well as trying to curb its nuclear ambitions.
Jim Jones: Camp Liberty is worse than Guantanamo
Foreign Policy: Former National Security Advisor Jim Jones said Tuesday that the former U.S. military base where a group of Iranian dissidents live is like a prison and the conditions there are worse than the U.S. facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
UN rights monitor alarmed by Iran media crackdown
AFP: The United Nations’ monitor for human rights in Iran sounded the alarm Tuesday over a rise in arrests of journalists, saying this was part of a pattern of increasing violations as presidential elections loom.
Iran could not divert uranium without being detected:US
AFP: Iran could not produce enough highly-enriched uranium for an atomic bomb without being detected, US National Intelligence Director James Clapper said Tuesday.
Report: Iran blocks VPN access to Gmail, Yahoo
AP: Iranian authorities have blocked many foreign-based virtual private networks, or VPNs, severely restricting access to many websites.
